BlackLynx17: Merry almost Christimas for those who celebrate! Here's an early Christmas gift!
"So who's going to be preforming for the Council tomorrow?" I ask.
The whole gang is in the spotlight, talking it out with Erza while I sit on the sidelines as their judge. I've been raised to be a councilman, think like a councilman, so if I'm pretty much blown away I have a feeling the Council would be as well. Erza looks over at me and starts talking, my phone ring just then though. I take it out and spot Lahar's name.
"Sorry, I need to take this." I tell her answering it.
"WHAT THE HELL DORANBOLT?!" He yells over the receiver.
All conversations stops and I chuckle, jumping out of my seat to walk away.
"What's the problem Lahar?" I ask, though I have a feeling about what this is about.
"I've just heard that YOU got the CIRUCS! A CHANCE to meet the COUCNIL!" He yells on and off.
"Yup, thanks to the brilliant idea you gave me a few days ago. Thank you."
"Doranbolt, this isn't a joke!"
"How did you find out about it anyway?"
"Yajime! He warned me and told me to help you but-"
"That's a brilliant idea! Come to the circus right now, we need your help!" I say.
The phone goes silent.
"What's happening to you?"
"I don't know Lahar, I feel great though. Really, it's like... come on Lahar."
"... They're going to leave one day, you know that right?"
"I do."
"Will you be leaving with them?"
"Of course not, I know where I belong."
I hear a sigh, "as long as you know I don't mind helping A FRIEND! Why are you doing this though Doranbolt?"
"Because they aren't bad people Lahar, they're just misunderstood and mislabeled."
"I'll be over in an hour, don't go wasting my time."
I laugh and hang up the phone, walking back inside. Everyone is doing something random, Erza sitting on the seat I was sitting at. I walk over and sit next to her, a smile on my face.
"I just got us another judge, a tougher one who likes nothing to do with you all. Impress him and we're pretty much in." I tell her.
"You're the best assistant a girl could ask for, thanks." Erza says pressing my head against her chest.
I blush and quickly lean away, fixing my hair as I clear my voice.
"So who's going to be preforming? I think three acts should do it, you being one of them Erza. They have to see how strong the leader is." I tell her.
"Exactly, I'm thinking of Natsu and Laxus for one and Juvia and Gray for the second. Then I'll preform by myself for the finale, though I wish I could have a partner!" She says irritated.
Mystogun starts walking away from the crowd and Erza sighs, running her hand through her hair. I stare at Mystogun then at her, she simply shakes her head at me though.
"Don't worry about him." She sighs before clapping her hands.
"Alright everyone! Line up! If I called you then stay to practice, if not then I expect you all to start chores! Clean up the tents! The animal pins! The rooms! Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen are on washing duty so make sure to have all your dirty clothes in the hampers! I don't think Natsu or Wendy will be done in time for the drying, if not just hang them. The Strauss siblings have animal duty today! Make sure they all get exercise, especially Tharja. She gave me some trouble when I was practicing the other day. Everyone else, you know what to do!" Erza starts barking order.
It is amazing, she holds this whole circus together. She turns to the remaining people who have stayed behind with a small smile.
"Dress up in outfits guys, I want us to practice like there's no tomorrow." She says.
"Something not so flashy and appealing to the eyes please! These Council Members are respectable, older gentlemen, and they haven't really caught up with... your trends." I add.
Laxus snorts and walks out, Natsu laughing behind him with Juvia and Gray walking after hand in hand. Erza turns back to me and grabs me by the collar, tugging me along like luggage.
"Come on, since you helped so much I believe there are some things you want to know." She tells me.
I start walking beside her outside of the tent and towards the trains. It isn't where the other trains that room the circus people at, but more towards the animal section where three carts are pressed up together behind the tent. It is all locked and chained up, Erza pulling a key from under her hat and unlocking them all.
"This right here is the record room of our circus Fairy Tail. It's been alive for over three generations." She says holding the door open for me.
The room is dark as we walk in an pretty dusting; I cough the second we walk in and wave a hand in my face. When she turns the lights on all around me I see old pictures, awards, statues, medals, wilted flowers, useless knickknacks really. Everything here must have had some sentimental values though, so old that Erza probably didn't know why she was keeping them safe. This place reminds me of the Council's records room, except more... friendly and homely. I see some of the her friends in these pictures and look around for the oldest, this pitiful black and white picture in the back of the wall. There are five people there, Erza's signature hat on top of this little girl's.
"Our first ring leader was 15 when she started Fairy Tail, this is her hat. It's been passed down from generation to generation." Erza says taking her hat off.
Now that I;m really close and really staring intently at it, I see the dirt and stitches, the patches, the tears, the blood. I'm staring at history in her hands; I can't help but want to touch it.
"She was a great ring leader, or at least that's what my predecessor told me. He just recently... passed away and left everything to me. I took his job with pride, I sometimes find myself a little lost though. Luckily I have everyone here to pull me together." She says softly.
I walk over to where she is, seeing her stare at a most recent picture. It was a paper from the town of Harmony Town, huge headlines and great reviews about them.
"They warned us not to come to Era, Gramps had always avoided this place too. Once I heard we've never been here I thought about all the people who's never seen a circus before, wondering if they've never enjoyed something truly beautiful and free like magic. Laxus warned me as well, he was Gramps grandson, but I was stubborn. I was just about to be proven wrong until you came."
She leaves me in silence as I look around a bit more, some of these papers dating back to ancient times without recent technology. It goes from older to newer in the three carts, the history increasing. I see a young Natsu, a young Gray, young Lisanna, I think that is her, as well as Laxus.
"Were you all born here?" I ask.
"Some, most of us though ran away to the circus. I'm afraid I can't explain their stories, since it's none of my business, but as for me I was abandoned on the side of the road as a child. Gramps found me, took me in, and I've never wanted to leave."
"Does everyone have a past like that?" I ask.
"If we all had perfects lives like you, why would we ever leave?"
I chuckle darkly, "my life isn't perfect."
"Better than anything we ever had." Erza sighs.
She starts making her way to the door, lingering in the doorway.
"I never knew where I belonged Doranbolt and while growing up I never thought it would be at a circus. You aren't just born to belong in anyplace, you're chosen, you have to choose to be where you want to be. No one can decide that for you." She says lightly, but with confidence as she stares directly in my eyes. Her strong face turns into a small smile though as she finishes speaking, "I'm going to change as well, meet back at the tent in five minutes. And lock up when you leave."
Seems like someone was eavesdropping on my conversation earlier on... I'm not mad though. A little flattered actually that she cares to tell me these things, shares her history with me, and shows me all this history. I stay for a little bit longer, absorbing their past. I don't notice at all when someone else walks in the room with me.
"You don't belong here."
I turn around and see Mystogun standing behind me, his brown eyes just staring at me. Brown eyes? I would have figured they'd be black since he seems like the heartless type.
"I think I know where I belong." I reply.
"No you don't, if you knew you wouldn't be here."
I walk passed him and leave the train, ignoring his warnings.
"Lock up when you leave." I call back.
I don't know what his problem is with me, I've never even had a full conversation with Mystogun to make him treat me like that, there is just something about him though that... I can't put my finger on it. It is a strange sense of... I don't know. It doesn't matter. When I reenter the circus everyone but Erza is in there. Juvia and Gray are dressed up as a princess and a prince, Natsu and Laxus as two dragons. There are flames engraved into Natsu's leather outfit, lightning bolts in Laxus. I guess it has something to do with their magic.
"Nice... I thought I said something a little less... flashy." I ask.
"Hey, you can't expect us to stop being us." Natsu says.
Laxus snorts in agreement.
"Alright everybody, Natsu and Laxus start the Electric Flames Act 3, I think we'll go with that one, while Juvia and Gray I want you to have the Snowing Castle Acts 1 and 2." Erza says walking in.
She is dressed from head to toe in armor, her bright red hair flowing freely down instead of being hidden inside of the hat, which she is still wearing right now. She stares at everyone and nods, walking towards me.
"Best we could do." She shrugs.
I shrug back at her, "we'll have to make due then. Is everybody ready?"
There are a lot of unenthusiastic calls of yeahs and yes. After Erza yells at the bunch of them though, everyone cheers up immediately. We have our work cut out for us, I have faith in my friends though.
"I know you guys can do this, so knock their socks off." I encourage them.
"What if they aren't wearing socks?" Natsu starts laughing.
I sighed lightly and wait for my turn to knock Natsu in the head before everybody goes to work.
"Well?"
Lahar stares at me long and hard before walking out of the circus tent. Everyone watches him leave.
"Well what the hell does that mean?!" Natsu yells out.
"That's Lahar's way of saying, I'm impressed but I'm not going to say it because you are circus people. Hold on a minute." I say jumping down from my seat.
I jog over to where Lahar is pacing around, running his hands through his hair.
"What the hell are you doing Doranbolt?!" He yells.
"Lahar, I thought we had this conversation. They are good people." I tell him.
"So?! They're circus people!"
"But after this they won't be called circus people! But Cir-Cus! Peo-Ple! Do you see the difference? No one will call them that anymore. You only think of them that way because of the Council, but once they change their mind you will too. So honestly Lahar, what did you think?"
Lahar glares at me, "they were alright."
I snort, shoving his shoulder.
"Liar."
"Fine, fine they were good. An act like that, they might not have everyone's votes, but enough to make them be able to stay."
I grin, "there we go. That's great."
"Doranbolt, I'm happy to finally see you passionate about something, don't forget your real friends though."
"Aw Lahar," I say wrapping my arm around his head, "are you feeling lonely?" I ask pinching his cheeks.
"Shut up Doranbolt! I'm just reminding you of who will be here after a month and who won't. If you abandon us now and try to come back when your new friends leave, some of us might hold some resentment."
"But of course you'd never do that Lahar, we're diaper buddies."
I finally get a smile out of him as he pushes me off and we start shoving each other.
"Come on, let's grab some grub with everybody."
I blink, my smile frozen in place, and look back at the tent. When was the last time I had actually done something with Lahar and my friends? It wasn't a while ago, but still.
"Yeah, hold on. Let me just tell them I'm leaving." I say jogging back inside.
"Erza? Erza!" I call jogging towards her.
"So? What's up?" She asks.
"He said you all are good, just focus on teamwork and don't argue with each other during the performance. Other than that, I have confidence you'll pass this. Anyways I'm going to go, I'll be there for the big day though alright?"
"Thanks for your help Doranbolt, you're welcome back anytime if we're open or not."
"Thanks Erza, bye everyone!" I call as I walk out.
I run into Wendy along the way, seeing her standing alone with a ball in her hands.
"Hey Doranbolt! You leaving so soon?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm going to hand out with my friends right now. I helped Erza though and we think- WHAT THE HELL?!" I yell out.
I notice something running into the distance straight towards us, those somethings because TWO ENORMEOUS TIGERS RUNNING STRAIGHT FOR US! Tigers are dangerous, really, really dangerous, so everything in my body tells me to run before I have time to process what I'm doing. I teleport away from the ground to the cage next to us, landing on my back and clutching my heart like crazy as I try to calm down. I hear Wendy's giggles laughing up in the air before they all of a sudden pause. I pause as well as I realize what I just did.
"Doranbolt?" Wendy asks flying up to where I am.
Her eyes are wide and her jaw dropped.
"You, you." She says looking back to where I once was then where I'm at now.
"Don't say anything." I tell her.
I think she sees the panic in my voice, because she nods and smiles at me.
"Lips are sealed." She whispers zipping them up.
I sigh out in relief and jump off the cage, dusting my pants off then flinching back as I see the two tigers still standing there playing with her ball.
"Aw you don't have to worry about these two, they're really like overgrown house cats. This is Alla and this is Anna." Wendy says walking over.
She starts petting them, the two tigers purring when they felt her angelic touch.
"See? Come on, have a pet?"
"I'm, good, Lahar's waiting, I think I'll leave." I say trying to walk around them.
"Right, next visit I'll introduce you to these two properly next time. How did it go inside? You were mentioning it before you started screaming in fear?" She giggles.
I blush in embarrassment and look away, "fine, they're good. Love to chat Wendy, have to go though."
She giggles and waves at me, "alright then. See you later Doranbolt."
When I return to Lahar I'm covered in sweat, my face red, my chest panting like I'm recovering from a heart attack. Lahar raises an eyebrow at me but shakes his head.
"Should I ask?"
"If you like tigers, sure."
"Tigers, can't say I do."
"Another time then. So what do you feel like? Burgers or pizza?"